


Goodbye Love

by M_C_Crocker



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Community: HPFT, F/M, Hogwarts Founders Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 05:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7086790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_C_Crocker/pseuds/M_C_Crocker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emotion gripped him as it had not done before, as his hand graced up her nearly cold arm.  She was supposed to react to his touch, but there wasn’t a movement.  His grip tightened around her as he choked back a sob.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye Love

“Don’t touch her!” Salazar's voice echoed across the way as he held out his hand.  A deadly warning echoed in his voice and emitted from his ever pale eyes.  If Godric dared to interfere Salazar would kill him, former friend or not. Godric stopped short, a few feet away his eyes staring at the scene before him.  
  
Salazar looked away from the other man focusing on the woman that lay before him.  He lowered his long, bony hand and carefully, placed it on her still almost peaceful form.  It was hard to comprehend that a person who won his heart quite like she did, was gone.  No one could make up for this loss, he wasn’t ready to accept the truth of the matter.  She was so sweet and full of life, it couldn’t have been taken from her - not yet.  
   
Emotion gripped him as it had not done before, as his hand graced up her nearly cold arm.  She was supposed to react to his touch, but there wasn’t a movement.  His grip tightened around her as he choked back a sob.  
   
“One more step Godric,” warned Salazar sensing the movement of the other man, his eyes never moved from the woman who had given her life for another to save her students.  There was a muggle riot and it was all they could do to keep them at bay.  While magic was far superior to any muggle weapon the numbers made up for the difference.  Always having a heart for her students, Helga performed a spectacular bit of magic that none had seen before, and probably would never see again as the spell while successful came at an exceptionally steep cost and that was her life. 

Of course of all people, Helga was probably the only one who could have performed the magic she did.  While there was no precedent for the magic Salazar knew enough to know that it required a great deal of love more than he or many others could ever possess.  It was that same love that melted his own heart.   
  
His hand moved from her arm and brushed her cheek as tears rolled down his own.    That cherub face lacked the typical warmth of her smile which brought so much joy, not only to him but everyone she met.  She had a way of lighting an entire room with it.   There was never a need for candles as long as she was around.  There was magic in her smile as well as she had a way of making the impossible seem attainable.   

The idea of creating a school for young magical minds to learn in relative peace and safety seemed impossible.  The world was in chaos, wars surrounded them all and it felt like the muggles would tear their lands apart, destroying anything they didn't understand which many times was turned to the young who were under developed in magical skills.

_"A school would be impossible!  There is no way we can pull this off."  Of the four Salazar had the most doubts.  Godric was full hardy enough to buy into it.  Surly Rowena saw the logic in what he was saying._

_"It is surely a challenge," she agreed having a look in her brown eyes that said she liked the idea of challenging that immense intellect of hers._

_Salazar shook his head in disbelief._

_"With enough hard work and determination anything is possible!" Helga's blue eyes danced with excitement at the idea as a grin played across her graceful lips. One look at her and he knew that there would be no stopping this idea.  Her smile instilled confidence in him and this idea.  With a nod of his head he agreed and was in._

The memory faded and even soured some as Salazar realized that never again would he see those lips turned upward or her eyes sparkling with delight.  It was hard not to fall in love with her cheer and optimism, and she was always ready to return that love tenfold.  Without meaning to, she created much heartache, particularly as both he and Godric both found themselves falling in love with her.   Not only did it help add to the strife between them but it also tore her up.

 _"Salazar, do you think you and Godric can make up?” she asked imploringly.  There was a sad look that seemed to never properly belong on her face, that made him want to do almost anything to fix it.  Yet, he knew the truth of the situation._  
   
_“I don’t know if we can.”  His expression reflected her own as he could not give her what she wanted.  There were too many differences between he and Godric.  He gently embraced Helga to try and compensate for the bad news.  He held a gentleness that only Helga had ever seen from him._  
   
_“I just feel I’m the cause for all this strife. I don’t want to be the cause of you two fighting.”_  
   
_“It is not only you that has caused tension between us. Godric and I have rarely agreed on much of anything.  If we do we still find issue with one another. Please do not worry about our friendship, you did nothing to cause this fight.”_  
   
Every memory of his beloved was painful now and came unbidden as his hand moved from Helga's face to her neck. There adorning it, was the locket that he gave her so that he would always be close to her heart.  It was a physical token to serve as a reminder of his love for her, something he fashioned himself.  

_“Oh, Salazar! I love it!” cried Helga as he presented the locket to her.  She practically jumped with joy over the small silver trinket that had an emerald ‘S’ engraved on it.  Her smile was brighter than ever caused Slazar to practically mirror her with one of his own._  
   
_“I’m glad you do.” He was short for words, lost in the joy and beauty of Helga._

_"Help me put it on?" She turned passed him the necklace and turned her back for him to put it on her.  His fingers were nimble with the clasp before they gently traced her shoulders._

_"Turn around so I can see it on you," his voice was soft and thick with admiration._

_Helga promptly turned to show off for a moment her eyes meeting his greys before she looked down at the locket once more gently fingering it. _“I will never take it off so long as I live!”__  
   
_The promise caused Salazar's heart to skip a beat before he closed the distance between them in order to kiss her._  
   
He loved seeing the locket on her as she moved about the castle it was a quiet testament to how she was with him and would be for as long as she lived.  Now, however, Helga’s heart no longer beat, there was little point for her to wear it any longer. Careful as he always was, he reached the clasp, releasing it from her neck.  He hated seeing the necklace part from her, it was the final blow of truth, that he had lost everything and she would no longer be part of his life. He examined the locket on the chain, uncertain what he would do with it before allowing it to drop into his pocket.  
   
“Salazar.” Godric spoke his name in a tone that practically admonished him for taking the necklace from Helga.

“I gave it to her - it’s my right to do with it what I want!” he snapped sending his cold steely gaze to the red headed man.  His used his eyes to dare the other man to approach him.  He would kill him; he would.  All he wanted to do was make a person pay for his great loss - guilty or not.  Godric of all people would serve that purpose well, because the battle would surely end with one of them dead, no mercy between old friends.  
  
Godric closed his mouth, and Salazar could see the frustration his face, and imagined he was weighing the odds of ending their fight here and now.  However, he remained where he was wand lowered.  There would be no fight today not over the corpse of the woman they both loved.  The challenge being un-met allowed Salazar to look back down at the empty shell that was his beloved.  He leaned down and kissed her now cold cheek.  "You will be avenged."  
  
He drew back, stood, and looked down at Helga once more before he looked up and began to speak an incantation in Parsaltongue; setting into motion his revenge.  He was finished before Godric could stop him.  
   
“What have you done?” demanded Godric savagely his head reaching across his body to grab his sword to match with his wand.  The fragile peace the two men held quickly falling apart.  
   
“That is of my concern.  I’ve ensured that one day the death of Helga will be avenged.”   
   
“Avenged against who?” Godric finally drew his sword but, before he could act Salazar vanished taking Helga's body with him.   
   
Silence pierced the air for a moment before Godric roared in pain, the chance to say goodbye to the woman he also loved stolen from him.   
  
Salazar never returned to Hogwarts castle and went to the only logical place he could think of, Kenfig, from which Helga was born.  It was one of the last things he could do for his dearly departed.  He erected a tomb for her and bid a sand serpent ensure her body never be disturbed.  To this day, there are rumors of people disappearing in the great sand dunes that now overrun the city and surround the burial site.

**Author's Note:**

> There is an actual myth about a serpent guarding a burial site in the sand dunes of Kenfig. If I can find the link again I will provide it. 
> 
> Also, this is a revamp of a story I wrote as scooterbug8515 on other archives.


End file.
